Spill Containment Device

ABSTRACT

A spill containment device for use with a beverage cup includes a panel that is configured to be selectively coupled to a cup proximate to a rim of the cup and an opening in a lid that is coupled to the cup. The panel, which is pliable and absorbent, extends past the rim and the opening. The panel is configured to abut a chin of a user as the user positions the user&#39;s lips on the lid proximate to the opening. The panel is configured to absorb liquid that escapes from the opening as the cup is tilted to dispense the liquid past the lips of the user.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM.

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention (2) Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The disclosure and prior art relate to containment device and more particularly pertain to a new containment device for use with a beverage cup.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a panel that is configured to be selectively coupled to a cup proximate to a rim of the cup and an opening in a lid that is coupled to the cup. The panel, which is pliable and absorbent, extends past the rim and the opening. The panel is configured to abut a chin of a user as the user positions the user's lips on the lid proximate to the opening. The panel is configured to absorb liquid that escapes from the opening as the cup is tilted to dispense the liquid past the lips of the user.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a spill containment device according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 5 thereof, a new containment device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, the spill containment device 10 generally comprises a panel 12 that is configured to be selectively coupled to a cup 14 proximate to a rim 16 of the cup 14 and an opening 18 in a lid 20 that is coupled to the cup 14. The panel 12, which is pliable and absorbent, extends past the rim 16 and the opening 18, as shown in FIG. 2. The panel 12 is configured to abut a chin of a user as the user positions the user's lips on the lid 20 proximate to the opening 18. The panel 12 is configured to absorb liquid, such as coffee, that escapes from the opening 18 as the cup 14 is tilted to dispense the liquid past the lips of the user. By absorbing the liquid that escapes from the opening 18, the panel 12 prevents the liquid from potentially contacting and staining clothing worn by the user.

The panel 12 may comprise tissue paper, or other absorbent material, such as, but not limited to, clothe, water absorbent polymers, and the like. The panel 12 is pleated so that the panel 12 is configured to retain a configuration wherein the panel 12 extends past the rim 16.

The panel 12 comprises an upper section 22 and a lower section 24. The lower section 24 of the panel 12 is nonpliable. The upper section 22 of the panel 12 is coupled to and extends from the lower section 24 of the panel 12. The lower section 24 of the panel 12 is configured to be selectively coupled to the cup 14 proximate to the rim 16 of the cup 14 and the opening 18 in the lid 20 so that the upper section 22 of the panel 12 extends past the rim 16 and the opening 18. The lower section 24 of the panel 12 may comprise paperboard or other nonpliable material, such as, but not limited to, plastic, rubber, silicone, and the like.

A fastener 26 is coupled to an inner face 28 of the lower section 24 of the panel 12. The fastener 26 is configured to couple to the cup 14 proximate to the rim 16 of the cup 14 and the opening 18 in the lid 20 to couple the lower section 24 of the panel 12 of the panel 12 to the cup 14 so that the upper section 22 of the panel 12 extends past the rim 16 and the opening 18. The fastener 26 may comprise an adhesive 30, or other fastening means, such as, but not limited to, a hook and loop fastener coupled one part apiece to the inner face 28 and the cup 14, a resilient band configured to extend around the cup, and the like.

The adhesive 30 comprises a first layer 32 that is positioned on a first face 34 of a first strip 36 and a second layer 38 that is positioned on a second face 40 of the first strip 36, as shown in FIG. 4. The first layer 32 of adhesive 30 is coupled to the inner face 28 of the lower section 24 of the panel 12.

A second strip 42 is removably coupled to the second layer 38 of adhesive 30, as shown in FIG. 3. The second strip 42 is configured to prevent inadvertent adhesion of the second layer 38 of adhesive 30. The second strip 42 is positioned to be separated from the second layer 38 of adhesive 30 so that the second layer 38 of adhesive 30 is configured to couple the lower section 24 of the panel 12 to the cup 14 proximate to the rim 16 of the cup 14 and the opening 18 in the lid 20. The upper section 22 of the panel 12 extends past the rim 16 and the opening 18 in the lid 20.

In use, the second strip 42 is removed from the second layer 38 of adhesive 30 and the lower section 24 of the panel 12 is pressed to the cup 14 proximate to the rim 16 of the cup 14 and the opening 18 in a lid 20 to couple the panel 12 to the cup 12. The upper section 22 of the panel 12 extends past the rim 16 and the opening 18. As the cup 14 is tilted to dispense the liquid past the lips of the user, the upper section 22 of the panel 12 is configured to absorb any liquid that escapes from the opening 18.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the elements is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements. 

I claim:
 1. A spill containment device comprising a panel configured for selectively coupling to a cup proximate to a rim of the cup and an opening in a lid coupled to the cup such that the panel extends past the rim and the opening, the panel being pliable and absorbent wherein the panel is configured for abutting a chin of a user as the user positions the user's lips on the lid proximate to the opening wherein the panel is configured for absorbing liquid that escapes from the opening as the cup is tilted to dispense the liquid past the lips of the user.
 2. The device of claim 1, further including the panel comprising tissue paper such that the panel is pliable and absorbent.
 3. The device of claim 2, further including the panel being pleated wherein the panel is configured for retaining a configuration wherein the panel extends past the rim.
 4. The device of claim 1, further including the panel comprising an upper section and a lower section of the panel, the lower section of the panel being nonpliable, the upper section of the panel being coupled to and extending from the lower section of the panel, the lower section of the panel being configured for selectively coupling to the cup proximate to the rim of the cup and the opening in the lid such that the upper section of the panel extends past the rim and the opening.
 5. The device of claim 4, further including the lower section of the panel comprising paperboard.
 6. The device of claim 4, further including a fastener coupled to an inner face of the lower section of the panel wherein the fastener is configured for coupling to the cup proximate to the rim of the cup and the opening in the lid for coupling the lower section of the panel to the cup such that the upper section of the panel extends past the rim and the opening.
 7. The device of claim 6, further including the fastener comprising an adhesive.
 8. The device of claim 7, further including the adhesive comprising a first layer positioned on a first face of a first strip and a second layer positioned on a second face of the first strip, the first layer of adhesive being coupled to the inner face of the lower section of the panel.
 9. The device of claim 8, further including a second strip removably coupled to the second layer of adhesive wherein the second strip is configured for preventing inadvertent adhesion of the second layer of adhesive and such that the second strip is positioned for separating from the second layer of adhesive positioning the second layer of adhesive for coupling the lower section of the panel to the cup proximate to the rim of the cup and the opening in the lid such that the upper section of the panel extends past the rim and the opening in the lid.
 10. A spill containment device, cup, and lid combination comprising: a cup; a lid coupled to a rim of the cup; an opening positioned in the lid; and a panel coupled to the cup proximate to the rim of the cup and the opening in the lid such that the panel extends past the rim and the opening, the panel being pliable and absorbent wherein the panel is configured for abutting a chin of a user as the user positions the user's lips on the lid proximate to the opening wherein the panel is configured for absorbing liquid that escapes from the opening as the cup is tilted to dispense the liquid past the lips of the user.
 11. A spill containment device comprising: a panel configured for selectively coupling to a cup proximate to a rim of the cup and an opening in a lid coupled to the cup such that the panel extends past the rim and the opening, the panel being pliable and absorbent wherein the panel is configured for abutting a chin of a user as the user positions the user's lips on the lid proximate to the opening wherein the panel is configured for absorbing liquid that escapes from the opening as the cup is tilted to dispense the liquid past the lips of the user, the panel comprising tissue paper such that the panel is pliable and absorbent, the panel being pleated wherein the panel is configured for retaining a configuration wherein the panel extends past the rim, the panel comprising an upper section and a lower section, the lower section of the panel being nonpliable, the upper section of the panel being coupled to and extending from the lower section of the panel, the lower section of the panel being configured for selectively coupling to the cup proximate to the rim of the cup and the opening in the lid such that the upper section of the panel extends past the rim and the opening, the lower section of the panel comprising paperboard; a fastener coupled to an inner face of the lower section of the panel wherein the fastener is configured for coupling to the cup proximate to the rim of the cup and the opening in the lid for coupling the lower section of the panel of the panel to the cup such that the upper section of the panel extends past the rim and the opening, the fastener comprising an adhesive, the adhesive comprising a first layer positioned on a first face of a first strip and a second layer positioned on a second face of the first strip, the first layer of adhesive being coupled to the inner face of the lower section of the panel; and a second strip removably coupled to the second layer of adhesive wherein the second strip is configured for preventing inadvertent adhesion of the second layer of adhesive and such that the second strip is positioned for separating from the second layer of adhesive positioning the second layer of adhesive for coupling the lower section of the panel to the cup proximate to the rim of the cup and the opening in the lid such that the upper section of the panel extends past the rim and the opening in the lid. 